Best Background Check Sites

Learn More

First Advantage is the best overall background check site because results are quick, and it offers international background checks. The company manually reaches out to candidates if they need additional information, so you don’t have to contact them yourself.

Providing background checks in the vast majority of countries and territories, First Advantage offers services for small businesses and international organizations. It’s the best background check site because most results come back in less than 24 hours. It offers drug testing and can even order fingerprint-based background checks from the FBI.

Background checks typically come back within minutes, but that timing can be significantly longer depending on the country or county. If you are interested in the company's services, you can click the get started button and provide your information. A representative will then contact you about plans, services, and pricing. Their background checks cover driving, criminal records, social media, licensing and credentials, employment history, and much more.

Learn More

We chose Rentberry as the best value background check site because it offers both a credit report and background check for a low price paid by the tenant; it’s free for landlords. The comprehensive report is available immediately online, helping ideal tenants move in quickly.

Rentberry background checks are only available in the U.S., but landlords can list properties worldwide. This is the best value background check site because it doesn’t cost a landlord anything to use, and they can list properties to rent at no cost, making it an attractive option whether the landlords are new or seasoned rental property owners.

Once a potential tenant locates a property and wants to apply to rent it, they fill out an online application and pay $39.99. This covers both the background check and the credit report, which is instantly available to the tenant and landlord.

The credit report comes from TransUnion. It verifies the tenant’s identity, collections, credit score, public records, creditworthiness, rental history, and employment background. The background check looks at state and national databases, driving and civil records, and criminal history records.

After selecting a tenant, landlords can send an offer electronically and e-sign rental agreements. Tenants can even make online rental payments.

Learn More

While you’ll pay more to hire a good candidate, GoodHire offers one of the most comprehensive background checks we reviewed. It provides the standard criminal background check, but you can also purchase additional reports to include data such as credit history, education and employment verification, and healthcare sanctions.

GoodHire provides the most detailed reporting among all background check services—access comprehensive reports like federal, state, and global courts, plus add-on reports such as healthcare sanctions, professional license verification, and reference checks. It launched in 2013 and works exclusively with employers and candidates.

Packages offered are Basic, Essential, and Professional checks. These packages cost $29.99, $54.99, and $79.99, respectively, plus a one-time setup fee.

Social Security number trace and identity verification are instantaneous, while criminal record searches take one to three business days. Civil records searches may take longer, depending on the county and case. GoodHire offers several add-ons. It lists its most popular as:

• Education verification
• Current employment verification
• Previous employment verification
• Motor vehicle records search
• International criminal records search

If you plan on running more than 10 background checks per year, GoodHire can provide a custom quote with reduced pricing.

Learn More

Aside from its rave reviews from both candidates and employers, Checkr is the best background check company for employers because it’s easy to use. Invite up to 25 candidates in a single go, and access simple reports to make hiring decisions quickly.

Checkr launched in 2014 and has offices in both Denver and San Francisco. It’s the best background check site for employers because you can bulk-invite candidates and simplify court jargon all in one easy-to-use interface. With over 1,300 employees in 2022, Checkr works solely to provide background checks to employers. It also has some of the best reviews across all of the background check sites we examined.

With no consistency across county and state databases, PAM technology helps disseminate terminology, so human resource representatives don’t have to spend much time deciphering results.

Pricing varies by country and add ons, although higher volume may offer better pricing. 84% of Checkr’s background checks come back within 15 minutes, allowing employers can make hiring decisions quickly.  

Background checks include the following reports:

• Criminal Records
• Education Verification
• Employment Verification
• Civil Search
• Drug and Health
• Motor Vehicle Reports
• And more

Learn More

In 2018, Apartments.com owner, CoStar Group, purchased Cozy, and by mid-2021, all eligible accounts were moved over to the Apartments.com platform. We picked Apartments.com as the best background check site for landlords because the background check cost is included in the renter's application fee, and tenants can make online rent payments that are directly deposited into their landlord's account.

Apartments.com is one of the easiest background check sites for landlords because it's all done online and at no cost to the landlord. Potential tenants pay an application fee of $29 that includes the cost of their credit report and background check. They can also share their screening reports with up to 10 potential landlords for 30 days without incurring additional fees.

Apartments.com uses TransUnion for the credit report and background check, providing a ResidentScore that considers a potential tenant's payment history, eviction record, and comprehensive credit history. The credit report is a soft pull, so it won't impact a potential tenant's score.

The background check report includes address history, any evictions, and a criminal report compiled by searching national databases and county court records.

Once landlords have selected a tenant, they can create an online lease agreement that the tenant can also sign online. Tenants can then set up automatic rent payments that are deposited directly into the landlord's bank account.

Learn More

If you’re looking for instant background check results, Intelius provides its report in mere minutes. Compared to other background check sites we reviewed, this is by far the fastest available.

While you can’t use it for tenancy, insurance, employment, or credit because it’s not FCRA-compliant, Intelius can give you instant insight into someone’s criminal background. Some people use this to look into potential business partners or even a love interest. It’s the best background check site if you want instant results—your report is available immediately.

You don’t need a Social Security number to access the report, but you’ll need the person’s name, city, and state. For a more accurate report, Intelius will ask questions to help further narrow down results, such as, “Is this person over 30?” and, “Has this person ever lived in Madison, Wisconsin?” You may have a hard time finding the right person if you don’t know much about them or if they have a common name. 

Subscription packages start at $24.86 per month for unlimited searches, and you cannot purchase a standalone background check. If you don’t want to continue the trial or subscription, you can cancel online or by calling 888-245-1655.  

An Intelius background check includes:

• State and local criminal records
• Date of birth
• Education history
• Employment history
• Phone numbers
• Address history
• Relatives
• Arrest records
• Court records
• Social media profiles
• Email addresses